The 2006 South Carolina elections took place on November 7, 2006, and included the gubernatorial election. All nine popularly elected constitutional officers were up for reelection, and all races except the attorney general's were contested. The entire South Carolina House of Representatives, one state senator, and six state circuit solicitors were also up for election. Several constitutional amendments were also on the ballot.
Filing for the major parties closed on March 28, 2006, and filing for minor parties closed on August 15. The primaries for both parties were held on June 13, and run-offs were held on June 27. All results are taken from the South Carolina Election Commission's official results. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding.
Governor Republican primary Oscar Lovelace - physician Mark Sanford - incumbent governor, former realtor and U.S. representative
Lovelace's candidacy was largely quixotic, although it did garner some interest from disaffected Republicans and Democrats. The Prosperity doctor emphasized working across party lines, health care reform, opposition to school vouchers and job creation. Sanford largely ignored Lovelace's campaign, even refusing to attend a South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) debate with his opponent. Although Lovelace made a stronger than expected showing in the primary, his loss was not surprising.
Democratic primary C. Dennis Aughtry - attorney Kenneth Lamar Holland (withdrew) - former U.S. representative Tommy Moore - state senator from Aiken County and businessman Frank Willis - mayor of Florence
Moore obtained the support of much of the state party months in advance, having declared his candidacy early. He ran on a platform that stressed his experience in state government and support for consensus-building politics. Willis largely self-financed his campaign, highlighting his history fighting crime in Florence and bringing economic development to the Pee Dee. Aughtry was a late entrant in the race, and based almost his entire campaign on the idea of legalizing casino gambling in the state to boost revenues. Holland briefly entered the race, but left when it became apparent he could not raise enough money to be an effective candidate. His name was not on the primary ballot. Moore won with an absolute majority, avoiding a run-off.
General election
Before the general election campaign, major issues in the race were expected to likely be South Carolina's property tax, cigarette tax, and school vouchers. However, the race had surprisingly low visibility, with the only major issue being the governor's combative relationship with the legislature. Job creation and public school investment were minor issues in the campaign. Despite being named one of the worst governors in the country by Time magazine a year before the election and generally being seen as ineffective, Sanford defeated Moore in the general election by ten points.
State Senator Jake Knotts considered mounting an independent candidacy for governor, and collected enough petition signatures to theoretically qualify for the ballot, but decided not to run.
Lieutenant governor
Republican primary André Bauer (incumbent) - former state representative from Lexington County and businessman Mike Campbell - son of former Governor Carroll Campbell, businessman Henry Jordan - frequent candidate
The Republican primary was expected to be messy and close between Bauer and Campbell, but the former's plane crash and resulting public sympathy late in the race stymied negative campaigning. Campbell relied on a base of support in the Upstate, where support for his father was strong, while Bauer made stops all across the state in a traditional face-to-face campaign. Campbell received an endorsement from former president George H. W. Bush, support that was the basis of one of his television ads. Jordan, a late entrant, went negative against both camps in radio and internet ads, but never gained traction outside of Anderson. No candidate received 50% of the votes in the primary, and thus Campbell and Bauer faced each other in a run-off, which Bauer won.
General election
The lieutenant governor's race was dominated by the missteps of Bauer, the incumbent. Bauer came under criticism for multiple citations for speeding and his flamboyant personality. His controversial public image, and the fundraising prowess of his opponent, Robert Barber, who did not face a primary, kept the race close in public polling throughout the campaign. In late May, a two-passenger plane which Bauer was piloting crashed in the Upstate. Bauer's ankle was shattered, but otherwise he and the passenger in the plane survived with minimal injuries. The plane crash was later determined to have been caused by faulty bolts in the plane's construction. Barber suffered from his own personal problems when his James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Bowen's Island, burned late in the campaign. Bauer eventually won the general election with less than one percent over the vote after a recount.
Secretary of state
Republican primary L. W. Flynn (withdrew) - 2004 candidate for the State House of Representatives Mark Hammond (incumbent) Bill McKown - Surfside Beach town councilman
Hammond initially faced little opposition from Flynn and McKown, and far out-fundraised both. However, Flynn withdrew from the race and endorsed McKown, whose campaign picked up traction based on questioning Hammond's conservatism and support for the governor. Hammond eventually defeated McKown. Although Flynn received 6.5% of the vote in the primary, his votes were not officially tallied.
General election
Mark Hammond faced Democratic challenger Cheryl Footman, who did not face a primary. In a rather bizarre moment in the race, Footman attempted to burst into patriotic song at the end of her SCETV debate with Hammond, but was quickly cut off by the moderator. Hammond easily won re-election.
State treasurer
Republican primary Rick Quinn - former SC House majority leader Thomas Ravenel - 2004 Senate Republican primary candidate and businessman Greg Ryberg - 2002 treasurer candidate, state senator from Aiken Jeff Willis - real estate developer
The Republican treasurer's race was hotly contested. Ryberg and Quinn were initially seen to be the front-runners, and Ryberg, the 2002 Republican nominee, made an early $2 million loan to his campaign. Ultimately, Ravenel defeated his opponents in the primary just short of the necessary 50 percent total to prevent a run-off. Ryberg and Quinn both withdrew from the run-off, citing the need for party unity behind Ravenel. Ravenel easily defeated Willis in the run-off.
General election
The treasurer's race pitted Thomas Ravenel, a young millionaire and emerging politician, against Grady Patterson, a nine-term incumbent who did not face primary opposition. The race was largely fought over the state of South Carolina's employee pension fund, with Ravenel taking issue with the state's projected unfunded liability and its failure to invest the fund in equity funds, which he claimed would boost returns. Patterson retorted by pointing out Ravenel's inexperience and accusing Ravenel of using the race as a platform to run against incumbent Senator Lindsey Graham, which Ravenel denied was his intention. Ravenel won the election, but was indicted on June 19, 2007 on cocaine charges and suspended as treasurer.
Attorney general
The incumbent, Henry McMaster, did not face a primary and ran unopposed in the general election.
Comptroller general
Neither party held a primary for the race. The incumbent, Richard Eckstrom, was challenged by Drew Theodore, businessman and son of former Lieutenant Governor Nick Theodore. The only public issue in the race was incumbent Richard Eckstrom's use of a state-owned car to drive himself to Minnesota a year earlier, and also his use of state funds to refurbish his state offices upon taking office in 2003. The race got some national attention when Saturday Night Live aired a sketch on September 30, lampooning President Bush's low popularity by portraying Eckstrom as the only Republican running for office who was willing to be seen campaigning with the president. Eckstrom eventually won reelection.
Superintendent of education
Republican primary Karen Floyd - former Spartanburg County County Council chair, attorney Elizabeth Moffly - businesswoman Mike Ryan - teacher Bob Staton - businessman, former chair of the SC Education Oversight Committee Kerry Wood (withdrew) - computer programmer
The crowded Republican primary was dominated by Floyd's campaign from the start. Floyd was able to gain the endorsements of the governor, both senators, Republican congressmen and state legislators early in the race, when it was presumed that she would be running against incumbent Inez Tenenbaum. When Tenenbaum announced she would not be running, more serious candidates began eyeing the race, and Bob Staton eventually became the viable alternative to Floyd. His race emphasized an opposition to school vouchers and support for existing aspects of public education. The other, more minor candidates, were largely united in an anti-voucher position. Ryan distinguished himself by straying from attacks on the state's standardized test regime, the PACT, instead supporting the idea of standardized testing as a way to create standards in education. Just before the election, Wood withdrew from the race and endorsed Staton, but despite this, his votes were officially tallied after the race. Floyd won the primary, barely surpassing the 50 percent threshold to avoid a run-off.
Democrats Ed Murray (withdrew) - teacher Jim Rex - former Columbia College president, former teacher Cecil Taliaferro (withdrew) - former COO of Allen University
Although Tenenbaum began preparing for a campaign in 2005, she eventually decided against running, and withdrew from the race. Democrats Cecil Taliaferro and Ed Murray then entered the race. Frank Holleman, Tenenbaum's campaign manager in her 2004 Senate run and former deputy secretary of education, considered a run but did not enter the race. When Rex announced his candidacy, he received wide acclaim from the party, and Taliaferro and Murray withdrew before filing. Tenenbaum, Holleman, Murray and Elizabeth Moffly subsequently endorsed Rex's candidacy.
Third parties Arnold E. Karr (Green Party) - correctional educator and union activist Tim Moultrie (Libertarian Party) - teacher, 1998 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Ralph Linblad (Constitution Party) - machinist, briefly 2006 Constitution gubernatorial candidate Tony Fayyazi (independent) - educator
Tim Moultrie won the nomination of the Libertarian Party at their Lowcountry convention, fending off Rebekah Sutherland, the Libertarian Party's 2004 candidate for US Senate. Karr received the endorsement of the South Carolina AFL-CIO and affiliated unions. His campaign stressed the independence of the superintendent's office from that of the governor, empowerment of public educators, and funding equity for all school districts in the state. He proposed using SC lottery proceeds to subsidize poorer districts until the General Assembly enacted a permanent funding plan. Lindblad pledged to dissolve the SC Department of Education if elected, and eliminate the office of superintendent entirely, claiming that bureaucracy is the biggest impediment to effective education. Fayyazi believed that the state superintendent should be an educator with knowledge of how public education works on the ground.
General election